Do you think, at this day and age, it is difficult for startups to thrive? Of course no. And, I will tell you why. Not only are the entry barriers at an all-time low but technology to build the product, for Sales, Marketing and Ops is available to everyone. This is addition to the capital, talent and market available for startups.
I agree there is immense competition even among startups for marketing. But thanks to marketing technology there are ways to propel yourself forward like a rocket, leaving all your competition behind. This is where martech tools like marketing automation comes in.
Marketing automation for startups might raise a few eyebrows. You know what I mean. In fact, you are dying to ask me this: Is marketing automation FOR startups?
The simple answer is, marketing automation is meant for all sorts of organizations. With so many marketing automation vendors out there, it has become even more accessible today. There are some vendors whose platform is more suited for mid-sized companies. Some offer platforms that runs best for the big multinational corporations. And, then there's some that are best suited for startups.
Also Read: World's Best Startups are Scaling Fast with Marketing Automation
Even the Odds
One of the first things that startups face is competition from bigger companies. So, what is it that sets you apart? Is it their customer base? Or perhaps it is the strength of their workforce? Whatever it is, you can bridge the gap with marketing automation.
Nearly 47% of startup owners handle marketing operations on their own. What if these startup owners invested in marketing automation? For startups you will have more time on your hands. In any case, a startup has to face a lot of obstacles on its road to success. Marketing automation can make this path easier for you.
Saving time, energy as well as resources is a key step for any startup. You can use the time and resources you saved on strengthening other aspects of your business.
On top of that you can expect better performance from your campaigns, thanks to marketing automation. For most startups who are on a tight budget, this might prove to be a good, long-term investment.
No More Outsourcing
Another major issue that plagues most startups is content creation. This includes copy for websites and online resources to designing templates for emails and newsletters. Most startups outsource these tasks and spend a fortune to get them done. In fact, 62% of startups outsource their content marketing resources. However, with marketing automation, this job becomes easier.
Most marketing automation platforms come full equipped with a module that makes content creation easier. You get access to all sorts of templates that come pre-designed. Moreover, you can edit them according to your requirements.
Blogging becomes easier with automation as it helps you to figure out the right tags and identify key quotes.
Increasing Conversions
It's not about how many leads you score, but how many you can convert. Thanks to marketing automation, you can streamline the process of converting your website traffic into long-term buyers.
You can create personalized content using the dynamic content module of an automation tool, to craft copy unique to every user. So, every time someone visits your website, and re-visits it again, they will experience something tailor-made for them.
A great example would be your Amazon homepage. It changes based on your browsing habits. That is the power of dynamic content.
But, this is just a part of it. In order to convert more, you also need to create the perfect landing page for every occasion. Don't take this lightly. Landing pages are integral to conversion.
According to this report, the average conversion rate for landing pages is 2.35%. Yet the top 25% has a conversion rate of 5.31%. That's almost 2x the average conversion rate.
Most automation platforms have in-built landing page creation tools. You can build your own landing page, run A/B tests to figure out which performs better and ultimately start converting more visitors.
Nurturing All The Way
A good company will know how to satisfy its customers. A great one will know how to nurture them. For a startup, it is extremely important to build a customer-base. Being a new kid on the block isn't that easy when you have no customers. So, take advantage of the lead management module of marketing automation.
First of all, you can segment your leads according to their likes and dislikes. This will help you understand which segment prefers what. You can create content according to these preferences, so that they will start liking what you send to them.
If a visitor likes what they see, they will keep coming back for more. It is a simple logic that will help you win innumerable customers. But, do not nurture your leads thinking that they HAVE TO become a customer.
Nurture them in a way that it feels and sounds like you are helping them. With everyone trying to sell their products, you can stand out by being a great help.
Marketing automation will also allow you to score your leads based on their actions. This will reveal which lead requires more nurturing. It's a great way to keep a tab on your leads, and helping them out when they need help.
Does that mean that the process of nurturing ends after a deal is closed? Not at all. After-sales is a crucial part of any business. In fact, being a startup, you should adopt a no-nonsense after-sales policy that will aim at solving problems, not creating more. If you want your new customers to stay, you will need to provide a good after-sales experience to them.
Also Read: Marketing Automation can Help Startups Sell like Big Brands
Final Thoughts
Marketing automation has a pretty impressive resume. You definitely can't ignore that. Moreover, with the amount of time, money as well as energy that it can help save, it can actually become an important addition for every startup out there.
So, if you are working hard to give your startup the marketing push it deserves, do not hesitate to drop us a line at [email protected] with your marketing challenges.